White Noise - Electric Storm

When this album came out in 1969, it was far beyond anything anyone was doing. A Saucerful of Secrets by Pink Floyd- Pfft! Not even close. This was just before the advent of the Moog synthesizer so what you'll hear may sound like synthesis, but is actually tape-splicing taken to the 11th degree. What first interested me was the fact that one of Europe's greatest free drummers to this day- Paul Lytton- was a member. This album is a blend of three musical styles that are now in very diverse camps: Noise (Merzbow, etc.) electronica and pychedelicia.

The White Noise project had its origins in the BBC's Radiophonic Workshop, whose previous claim to worldwide fame was the theme music to Doctor Who. The workshop was peopled by a small team of technical wizards and musicians whose principal function was to generate futuristic effects and music for BBC TV and radio programs. With no keyboard-based polyphonic synthesizers available to them, every last chord had to be assembled from numerous tape edits painstakingly stuck together. Much use was made of musique concrète techniques, whereby physically generated sounds would be subjected to all manner of electronic distortion and tape manipulation.

Having heard Pink Floyd’s recently released A Saucerful of Secrets, a lengthy instrumental track on which a drum riff underpins a cacophony of noise, in order to complete the album they needed something fast. The result was the hair-raising -- "Black Mass: An Electric Storm in Hell," which replaces Saucerful's heavenly choir with the sound of souls screaming in eternal torment. Simply, one of the scariest pieces of music ever recorded. It's an album that sounds like no other.

By 1970, however, White Noise had been overtaken by events. As the Moog synthesizer became widely available, the kind of equipment used by the Radiophonic Workshop team became obsolete almost overnight. And since it was this very equipment that gave the White Noise album so much of its charm, there was never any question of a full-scale follow-up.

1. Love Without Sound 2. My Game of Loving 3. Here Come the Fleas 4. Firebird 5. Your Hidden Dreams 6. Visitations 7. Black Mass: An Electric Storm in Hell

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Tuxedo Moon -- Desire

The Residents liked these guys enough to sign them to their label, which says something about how truly spectacular this fringe music sounds. Tuxedomoon combine bread-and-butter pop instruments with a perverse yet perfect blend of violin, saxophone, theremin, clarinet, drum machine, farfisa organ and synthesizers. The lyrics, delivered in a creepy, theatrical tenor-baritone, range from abstract and subtly humorous to downright wacky.
Tuxedomoon are all about texture, humor, existentialism and invention. While slicker than their debut Half-Mute, Desire delves even more deeply into texture and sheer coolness. There are few songs in the annals of modern music to rival the coolness of "In The Name of Talent" or "Desire", nevermind the mind-melting hilarity of "Holiday For Plywood". For anybody with a penchant for the unusual and brilliant, there is nothing like Desire anywhere, and I don't hesitate to recommend it to the musically adventurous. Stands up more than twenty five years after its release, and it always will.

1 East/Jinx/.../Music #1 2 Victims of the Dance 3 Incubus (Blue Suit) 4 Desire 5 Again
6 In the Name of Talent (Italian Western Two) 7 Holiday for Plywood
8 New Machine 9 Litebulb Overkill 10 Nite and Day (Hommage à Cole Porter) 11 No Tears

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Flying Lizards

This 1979 album from the experimental band Flying Lizards contains at last four classics: Der Song von Mandalay, TV, Summertime Blues and Money (That's What I Want). The first is a camp ballad with a gripping female vocal, the second is a weird and hypnotic pop song sung partly in French that reminds me of the artist Cristina of the famous Ze label. It ends in a series of atonal vocal loops. The third and the fourth are minimalist deconstructions of the old classics; the first with an aloof female lead vocal with male vocal infusions and strange innovative percussion, the second quite similar but with more charming electronic bleeps and found sounds.

The other songs like Her Story and The Flood are not as memorable and are mainly percussive explorations, sometimes with muffled vocal samples. Tracks like Trouble and Events During Flood fall into the ambient category, being quite moody and evocative instrumentals. The amazing thing about this album is the variety of themes and sounds on it. One song appropriately called guitars is just that, a lot of guitar noise. Something only the 'Lizards would get away with doing. Contrast this with the next song which is plain eerie, called The Window. A nice little vampire song adding a darker side to the album. Following this is Tube, which is a very experimental song, light and breezy in its intro then kind of blending into a mish mash of discordant sounds which somehow achieves a very funky sort of sound. The last song on the album is an extended version of Money - a brilliant one I might add
Chock full of apathy, irony, and oddness, the album stands alone among its (mostly forgotten) peers as an example of just how far out there pop music can get and still be endlessly playable. Masterful in its own deliberately insignificant way.

1.Mandelay Song [From "Happy End"] 2. Her Story 3. TV 4. Russia 5. Summertime Blues 6. Money (That's What I Want) 7. Flood 8. Trouble 9. Events During Flood 10. Window 11. All Guitars 12. Tube 13. Money (That's What I Want) [Single Edit]

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Fullblown - Agents of Entropy

Fullblown emerge briefly from the gutters of Omaha with a fiery release, in what is apparently their swan song, so that they may pursue other endeavors. Unfortunately, this is the way things work sometimes, however, they leave us this gem that combines all the sci-fi, juvenile delinquent, surf rock-a-billy you ever greased your hair to. We tip a Bud in toast to this most excellent send off in Fullblown's final quarter mile.

Ghoul's the Rule 2. Down With Slavery 3. Doctor's Daughter 4. Could be Disaster 5. Hail Damage 6. Scene One 7. Negative Nine 8. Venganza Insaciable 9. Death by Sodomy 10. Soul Prison 11. Nubian Lust 12. The Perfect Setting

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Halloween Treat -Blue Hawiians - Christmas on the Big Island

Six of the tracks are instrumentals and four tracks are songs with vocals. The album is a lot of fun. The arrangements and compositions of the classics were so fresh and original it makes them seem new again. It's definitely a talented band that can take the melody from South Pacific's Bali High and turn it into a lead in to Blue Christmas. The vocals hint at Elvis/Roy Orbison/Chris Isaac while the instrumentals are dripping in salt water with snow on the upper peaks of the island. More laid back than the Los Straightjackets or the Ventures Xmas efforts, this still has the BH’s signature relaxing/seductive vibe. Whether you are a avid surfer, beach boy at heart or just a lover of the old school tiki sound, try this... you will not be sorry.

1 Christmas Time Is Here 2 Jingle Jangle 3 White Christmas 4 Jungle Bells 5 Blue Christmas 6 Christmas on Big Island 7 Have Yourself a Quiet Little Christmas 8 Mele Kalikimaka 9 We Four King (Little Drummer Boy) 10 Enchanted Xmas

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Halloween Treat - Tribute To Link Wray

I love tributes and this one is a doozy. There's a lot more variety in styles present than one might expect from a "surf" album, as Link Wray went through many different genres in his long career. In this case, some wonderfully obscure surprises are side-by-side with covers of well-known classics.

Southern Culture on the Skids (who could easily do an entire Link tribute themselves), Deke Dickerson, Throw Rag, Pollo Del Mar and a host of others tackle the Fuzz-Master's material with great results, fun is had by all. The only way this could be better is if the Red Elvises and Guitar Wolf were also on it, but hey, maybe they're saving that for Volume Two!
Also recommended is Link Protrudi album "Hit and Run", which also contains numerous Wray covers.

SO MANY highlights!!! Spy-Fi's "The Shadow Knows" (with Phantom Frank, of Holland's The Treble Spankers); "The Outlaw" and "Comanche" by The Hellbenders and The Volcanos (would you believe they're the same band?); The Space Cossacks' "Mustang"; Dave Wronski's "Ace Of Spades" (sounding like it came right out of a Clint Eastwood western); Fifty Foot Combo's "Slinky"; Hypnomen's "Rumble Mambo"; The Downers' "Genocide" (really, also the Hypnomen!). Then there's "Deacon Jones", a wild romp that, to date, is my favorite Woggles track; Calexico's "Fallin' Rain" (a gorgeous piece which reminds me of The Byrds in their "country" period). So much great music, so little time. Lock and load with this one, it does Link pruod.

1.Raw-Hide - Mystery Action 2. Ain't That Loving You, Babe - Bleed 3. The Shadow Knows - Spy-Fi 4. The Outlaw - The Hellbenders 5. I'm So Glad I'm So Proud - Throw Rag
6. Friday Night Dance Party - The Ledgers 7. Soul Train - The Fleshtones
8. Mustang - The Space Cossacks 9. Ace Of Spades - Dave Wronski
10. Slinky - Fifty Foot Combo 11. Rumble Mambo - Hypnomen
12. Deacon Jones - The Woggles 13. Fire And Brimstone - Boss Martians
14. Fallin' Rain - Calexico 15. Genocide - The Downers
16. I'm Branded - Southern Culture On The Skids 17. Baby Doll - Gore Gore Girls
18. The Girl Can't Dance - Evan Foster 19. Jack The Ripper - Pollo Del Mar
20. Comanche - The Volcanos 21. Run Chicken Run - Jackie & The Cedrics
22. Run Boy Run - Deke Dickerson & The Eccofonics 23. Rumble - The Bambi Molesters
24. Roughshod - Four Piece Suit

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SI - Surf Guitar Comp

I went shopping so you don't have to. Every now and then a store vanity label comes up with something really good. This is one of those few times. Here is one of the most enjoyable comps I have ever heard, that's saying alot from being in the business for over 30 years.

It is a showcase for 2 of my favorite modern surf groups -- The Blue Hawiians and Jetpack -- both full lengths can be found in Fat City's archives. There are a few excellent cuts by the Boss Martins/Evan Foster and the obligatory inclusion of Dick Dale to round it out. Thorughly rad from beginning to end. This one is good enough to have a permanent place in yur collection.

Lounge patrons should already have the BH's and Jet Pack, if not, this is a good way to sample their excellently tasty wares. For new customers, this is one BOSS beginning for catching a wave.

1.Searchin' for Da Cat - Blue Hawaiians 2.Banzai Pipeline - Blue Hawaiians 3.Esperanza - Dick Dale 4.Martini Five-O - Blue Hawaiians 5.The Fury – Jetpack 6.Last Days of Summer - Blue Hawaiians 7.Brasil '69 - Boss Martians 8.Quiet Surf - Blue Hawaiians 9.Bus Stop – Jetpack 10.Motel Nowhere – Jetpack 11.The New Victor - Dick Dale 12.Embrujada - Evan Foster

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All modern surf, raging torrents of twang and fuzz. The name say is all. Love Hillbilly Frankenstein -- too bad I can't find anything they have done as a single source instead of cuts on comps only. Well, enjoy what we get.

1.Los Straightjackets / Kawanga 2.Laika & the Cosmonauts / Don't Monkey With Tarzan 3.Agent Orange / Tiki Ti 4.Cowslingers, The / 18 Wheels to Hell 5.Goldentones, The / Midnight 6.Vice Royals, The / Perpetration 7.Buzzed Meg / Buzzed Meg Theme 8.Hillbilly Frankenstein / Hypnoticz Part 1 9.Ultras, The / The Ultra Factor 10.Ray Corvair Trio / Carl Needs A Pill 11.BB & the Stingers / Slow Burn 12.Supertones, The / Torque Wrench 13.Mermen, The / Soul Surfin' 14.Los Straightjackets / Challenger 15.Allan, Dave & the Arrows with Dick Dale / Surf Trek

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Surf Monsters -- Past, Present and Future

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Decent comp from Del-Fi, this CD does a great job of dragging surf music into the modern era, preparing it for the 21st century. It also uses classic surf artists to show where its been, and modern artist that give a fesh and new look at were its goin'. Surf music is in good hands. Highlights include Bomboras, Satans Pilgrims, and the Cocktail Preachers track. Smokin' guitar on that track, equipped with bouncy whammy bar. Good all around introduction to the world of surf. Surfheads probably have most of the cuts on here, non surfheads can try lots of bands from all time periods to get a feel of the evolution of the music.

1.Man Or Astoman? - Flotation Devices For Frequencies Yet To Be Determined 2.The Bomboras - Planet Of The Apehangers 3.Satan's Pilgrims - Harem Nocturne 4.The Original Surfaris – Bombora 5.Huevos Rancheros - Beach Blanket Blackout 6.Dave Myers & The Surftones - Church Key 7.The Centurions - Bullwinkle Pt. II 8.The Cocktail Preachers - Albatross Joe 9.The Sentinals – Exotic 10.Barbacca - Northern Spy 11.The Tiki Tones - The Island Of Lost Souls 12.Dave Myers & The Surftones - Moment Of Truth 13.The Dynotones - Devil's Martini 14.The Space Cossacks - The Apes Of Wrath 15.The Impacts - Wipe Out 16.The Sub-Mersians - Dr. Yes 17.The Lively Ones – Miserlou 18.The Sentinals - Big Surf 19.Powerjive - Surf Session At Sunset 20.The Lively Ones - Surf Rider

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Gein and the GraveRobbers - The Passion of the Anti-Christ

Named for one of America's most notorious serial killers (his exploits helped inspire the movies Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Gein and the GraveRobbers generate a suitably brutal and unforgiving sonic assault, combining the skull-crushing power of Dick Dale, who met the Cramps, who met Iron Maiden who met Slayer and they all got drunk and partied together. This instro is CRUSHING – heavy beats, shredding guitar, monstro rhythms – this is the best surf metal you’ll hear. Perfect for Halloween. Beware, my lovelies. Don’t make me send out the flying monkeys!

1.Invocation 2.The Hungry Grave 3.The Phantom of Route 4.Black Sunday 5.Of Gods and Monsters 6.Brackish Soul 7.Nine Day Fall 8.The Creeping Unknown 9.House of Skulls 10.Unhallowed 11.Severed 12.Gemini 13.Into the Abby of Thelema

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